Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has expressed her support for a California bill that would enable undocumented immigrants to purchase homes using taxpayer-funded loans. In a recent interview with Bill Maher, Pelosi emphasized the importance of making homeownership accessible to all individuals, regardless of their immigration status.
The bill in question, Assembly Bill 1840, would allow the California Housing Finance Authority to consider applications from undocumented immigrants for the “Dream for All Program.” This program provides first-time homebuyers with loan assistance of up to 20% of a property’s value, with a cap of $150,000. The loan is repayable, along with a percentage of any property appreciation, depending on the buyer’s income.
Maher questioned Pelosi about the bill, suggesting that providing government assistance to undocumented immigrants to buy homes was a departure from the Democratic Party’s traditional stance on immigration. Pelosi countered that immigration has historically been a bipartisan issue, and that the bill is aimed at making the American dream of homeownership available to more people.
When Maher pressed Pelosi on her support for using tax dollars to fund homes for undocumented immigrants, she replied that her goal is to help them become documented. This statement is consistent with her opposition to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which aimed to prevent undocumented immigrants from voting in American elections.
In July, Pelosi voted with House Democrats who near unanimously rejected the bill to prevent illegal immigrants from voting in American elections. The legislation, proposed by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is still waiting for substantive action in the upper chamber.
The issue of housing affordability is a pressing concern in California, which is ranked among the worst states for housing nationwide. According to Zillow, the US is facing a shortage of over 4.5 million affordable homes, with several California cities ranking among the top 50 metropolitan areas with the highest housing deficits.
In response to this crisis, lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are considering proposals to open up federal land for home construction projects. While Republicans have proposed legislation to allow the sale of federal property to state governments for this purpose, Democrats are pushing for more limited opportunities, restricted to pre-existing development zones.
